Alberta Avenue residents tired of living in fear amid ongoing fires in the area

May 23, 2022 Canuck Alberta Avenue, Alberta Avenue Community League, Alberta avenue fires, Alberta Avenue string of fires, Edmonton city council, Edmonton Fires, Fire, Fires, Garage Fire

Residents in and around Alberta Avenue say they are living in fear and wondering if their properties will be next amid an ongoing string of fires in the area.

“The fires have continued,” said Christy Morin, a resident of the Alberta Avenue district. “We continue hoping and praying that there would be a break in this series of fires and we haven’t seen the relief yet. So we’re not even sure what is happening.

“We’re in crisis and we’re really afraid.”

The most recent fire happened at about 5 a.m. Saturday in the area of 113 Avenue and 104 Street.

Elke Sievels, who has lived in the area for 37 years, said she was getting up to use the washroom just before 5 a.m. when she heard an explosion. She looked out her bedroom window and saw the garage at a nearby property on fire.

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“I thought, ‘Oh my God. Wow, this is close,’” she said Monday.

Four fire crews were called to the fire, which engulfed a detached garage. The fire was declared out shortly after 6 a.m. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Saturday’s fire is the latest in a series of blazes spanning several months in and around the north central Edmonton community. Within blocks of the site, debris from previous fires can be seen.

“I think it’s scary for a number of the neighbours, and we have a number of senior citizens and families with children. So it is very, very unsettling,” Sievels said. “It is tiring when you see this kind of thing happening.”

Recent fires in Alberta Avenue have residents on edge. Global News

Residents in the area say they are exhausted and want more to be done to keep their neighbourhood safe.

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“Normal people on May long weekend are at the lake and putting in flowers. We are worried and meeting and talking about how we can help and we can’t do this anymore. The city is failing us,” Morin said. “You’re sort of like, ‘When does this stop?’ It’s like living a nightmare.”

“I’d really like to see city council stepping up to the plate and doing something about this, and I certainly don’t want to see less money go to the police department. We need all the resources that we can get to fight crime,” Sievels added.

Erick Estrada is the treasurer of the Alberta Avenue Community League and has lived in the area for about eight years. He said it’s a wonderful neighbourhood with people who really care about their community, but he too would like to see more done to improve safety for everyone who lives, works and visits the area.

“It’s the long weekend and we can’t be out there enjoying it because we have to be vigilant of our properties and our community. Everybody else can go out and enjoy the lake or whatever, but here we have to be still vigilant and everybody’s just tired to be ‘that neighbourhood’ in Edmonton,” he said.

“It is great to live here. It is not great to live in fear.”

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Click to play video: 'Edmontonians raise more concerns about Alberta Avenue fires'

1:54 Edmontonians raise more concerns about Alberta Avenue fires

Edmontonians raise more concerns about Alberta Avenue fires – Nov 22, 2021

Estrada said councillors have come to area in the past and they’re hopeful this council will do something to help.

“We have a new city council and they’re still new and we still have high hopes for them. They have walked with us through burned down houses but I don’t think they will have the time to walk with us through this many,” he said.

“In here we do need the police. We do need more patrolling… They have been doing a lot of work here and we still need a lot more presence for our business and communities to thrive.”

Several residents from the Alberta Avenue area, as well as the greater downtown region, say they are planning on going to city hall on Tuesday in hopes of speaking to councillors about their concerns.

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Global News has reached out to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services and the Edmonton Police Service for more information on the recent fires. This story will be updated if a response is received.

Recent fires in Alberta Avenue have residents on edge. Global News